The greenhouse effect
A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside.
The warmer temperature in a greenhouse occurs because incident solar radiation passes through the transparent roof and walls and is absorbed by the floor, earth, and contents, which become warmer. These in turn warm up the surrounding air within the greenhouse.
Since the structure has a roof and walls, and it is not open to the atmosphere, the warmed air cannot escape so the temperature inside the greenhouse rises.
In a similar manner, solar radiation travels through space and hits the earth’s surface. Some of this radiation is reflected back into space while the rest is absorbed by the oceans, land and vegetation. This absorption heats the earth and powers natural process such as photosynthesis and the weather.
The earth’s surface warms up and releases this energy back to the atmosphere as heat (infrared radiation). There are gases that exist in the atmosphere that act like a blanket. These gases are called greenhouse gases. They absorb (trap) most of this heat slowing down or preventing it from escaping into space. This heat is then radiated back to the earth’s surface, making the earth warm. This process is known as the ‘greenhouse effect’. It makes it possible to achieve a viable temperature for life on the planet.
Next: Greenhouse gases